Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-10-29

to foot, in whom | recognized She herself.
She mounted the dais and sat down upon
the chair, and spoke to me in Greek--I sup
pose because she did not wish those pres
ent to understand what she said.
Come hither, Holly" she said, 'and sit
at my feet, and see me do justice on those
who would nave slain thee. Forgive me
If my Greek doth halt like n lame man; it
is so long since | have heard the sound Of
it that my tongue is stiff, and will not bend
to the words"
Ibowed, and mounting the dais, sat down
at her feet.
How didst thou sleep, my Holly'" she
asked.
81 slept not well, oh, Ayesha," I an
swered, with perfect truth, and with an in
ward fear that perhaps she knew how l
had passed the heart of the night.
49," she said, with a little laugh, 81,
too, nave not slept we'll. Last night I had
dreams, and methinks that thou didst call
them to me, oh. y lily"
"Of what didst thou dream. Ayeshae" I
asked, indifcrently.
81 dreamed" she answered, quickly, "of
one | hate and one / leve;'' and then, as
though to turn the conversation, she adj
dressed the captain of her guard in Arabic
let the men he brought before me-"
The captain bowed low-for the guard
and her attendants did not PROSTATE them
selves, but had remained standing-and
departed with his underlings down a pas
sage to the right.
Then came a silence. She leaned her
swathed head upon her hand, and appeared
to be lost in thought, while the multitude
hafnra har continued 70 yrpuoI n,,n thar
stomachs, only screwing their heads round
a little so az to get q view Of us with one
eye. 1t seemed that their queen so rarely
appeared in public that they were willing
to undergo this inconvenience. and even
graver risks, to have the opportunity OF
looking on her-or rather On her garments,
for no living man there except myself had
ever seen her face. At last we caught
sight Of the waving of lights. nnd heard
the tramp Of men coming along the pas.
sage, and in filed the guard, and with them
the survivors of our would-be murderers,
to the number Of a score or more, on whose
c~ountenances the natural expression of
s%ullenness struggled with the terror that
evidently filled their savage hearts. They
were ranged in front Of the dais, and would
have cast themselves dow on the floor of
tho cave, like the spectators, but She stop
ped them.
Nay" she said, In her softest voice,
stand; ! pray We stand. Perchance the
time will soon be when We shall grow weary
of being stretched out" and she laughed
m%elodiously.
/ saw n cringe OF terror run along the
rank of the poor doomed wretches, and,
wicked villains as they were, l felt sorry
for them. Some minutes. perhaps two or
three, passed before anything fresh oc-
Cured, during which She appeared, from
the movement Of her head-for, OF course
we could not see her eyes-to be slowly
and carefully examining each delinquent.
At last she spoke, addressing herself to me
in a quiet and deliberate tone.
"Dost thou, oh my guest, who art known
In thy country by the name Of the Prickly
Tree, recognize these meni"
GAY, oh, queen, nearly all Of Them" ]
said; and / saw them glover at me as l said
il.
"Then tell me and this company the tale
whereof l have heard"
Thus adjured, /, in rs few words as
could, related the history Of the Gambia
feast, and of the attempted torture of on
t"V'I " Nulit u wac Wv
In perfect silence, both by the accused and
by the audience, and also by She herself
When ] had done, Ayesha called upon Bill
lali by name. and lifting his head from thu
ground, but without rising, the bic mar
confirmed my story. No further evidence
was taken.
Eye nave heard" said She at length, II
a cold, clear voice, very different from he
usual tones; indeed, IL was one Of the mos
remarkable things about thisc extraordinary,
creature that her voice had tho power q
suiting itself in q wonderful manner to tn
mood of the moment. "What have yc I.
say, We rebellious children, why vengeanc'
should not be don upon YEP"
For some time there was M answer, bu
Mt last one of the men, a fine broad-cheste'
fellow, well on in middle life. with deep
craven features, and with an eye like
hawks, spoke, and said that the order
that they had received were not TO harm
the white men; nothing was said of thei
black servant, SO, egged on thereto by
woman who was now dead, they proceeds
to try to hot-pot him after the ancient an
HE custom OF their country, with